Temporary binder and pad-holder.



No. 655,309. Patented Aug. 7, I900. v

- V. C. RDUTZAHN.

ine STATES VENIAII O. ROUTZAHN,

or MANSFIELD, OHIO;

TEMPORARY BINDERAND PAD-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,309, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed January 27, 1900. Serial No. 2.984. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VENIAH O. ROUTZAHN, of Mansfield, Richland county, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Binders and Pad-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to temporary binders.

The object of this invention is to provide a binding attachment for slips of paper forming memorandum-pads and the like which will be light, easily adjusted, and of sufficient strength to securely hold the slips together.

With this object in view and to the end of realizing other advantages hereinafter appearing my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of my binder, showing it attached to a stiff backing of cardboard and with the clamping member open. Fig. II is a perspective view of my binder, showing the clamping member closed on a pad of paper. Fig. III is a side view showing the clamp open. Fig. IV is a side view showing the clamp closed and securing a pad of paper. Fig. V is a front view showing the clamping member closed upon a pad of paper.

My binder comprises a back portion, a front portion consisting of a cam-shaped clamping member and a lever for operating the cam, and two U-shaped springs fixed at each side of the back portion and pivotally supporting and holding the front portion against the said back portion.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the back portion of my binder. It consists of an oblong plate of sheet metal. A portion of this plate near its top is bent forward, so as to form a flange a at right angles to the rest of the plate. This flange forms astop against which the slips of paper will abut when placed in the binder, and they may be evenly adjusted thereby. At each end of the plate I form three flanges a a a, die", and a respectively. The flanges a a and a a respectively, are bent backward and form clasps dinally of the plate.

and a are bent around on the face of the plate, so as to form sockets for the ends of the springs 12 and b, respectively, at each end of the plate.

The spring I) is formed by bending a piece of resilient wire upon itself in the shape of the letter U, so that one upright member of the U will be considerably longer than the other member. The end of the shorter member of this U-shaped spring is secured in the socket a formed on the plate a, so that the spring will stand out from the plate at right angles thereto. The end of the longer member of the spring is bent at right angles and parallel to the plate a, as at'lr. This bent end 11 forms a pivot-pin for one side of the clamping member. The spring Z) is similarly formed and adjusted and itsfree end 1) forms a pivot-pin for the other side of the clamping member.

The two springs 12 and b may be formed of a single piece of wire, in which case the construction would be similar, except 5 and b would form a continuous pivot-bar.

I form the front portion of my binder as follows: I take a plate of sheet metal 0 and first bend the upper portion of it upon itself, so as to form a channel 0, extending longitu- Into this channel the free ends b and b of the U-shaped springs fit and form pivots upon which the said front portion turns. I again bend this plate 0 in a wider convolution, forming an ellipticalshaped cam 0 having its major axisat an angle to the rest of the plate. After this second convolution has been made the bearing 0, upon which the clamping member turns, will be close tothe plate 0, giving to the cam the greatest possible eccentricity in its rotation. The rest of the plate 0 forms both a lever for operating the cam and an auxiliary clamping-surface, for when the cam is sprung into position the lever portion of the plate 0 is firmly pressed against the pad by the reaction' of the springs b and b.

I operate my binder as follows: I firstaffix it by means of the olasps d and a and d and a to a backing of cardboard. I then raise the front portion, turning the cam away from the back portion, as illustrated in Fig. III. I

then insert a pad of the desired thickness between the back and front portions of the binder, so as to abut against the flange a. The front portion is then reversed, turning the cam against the pad. The springs Z) and I) yield to the pressure of the cam and clamp the pad firmly in the binder.

hat I claim is- 1. A temporary binder or pad-holder comprising a metallic plate forming a back portion, a cam-shaped clamping device forming a front portion, and two U-shaped springs for pivotally holding the clamping device in its position relative to the back portion, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a temporary binder for memorandumpads and the like, the combination of a metallic plate forminga back portion, a cam-shaped clamping device and lever for operating the same forming the front portion, and two U- shaped springs forming operative connection between the front and back portions, each of said springs having one end rigidly secured to the metallic plate and having its other end bent at right angles and parallel with the said metallic plate to form a pivot for the said cam-shaped clamping device, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a support of cardboard or similar material, of a temporary binding attachment or pad-holder, comprising a metallic plate, clasps formed integral with said plate for attaching the said plate to the said support,-a cam-shaped clamping device, a lever for operating the cam, and two U-shaped springs adapted to hold the clamping device against the said metallic plate, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a temporary binder or pad-holder, comprising a back portion a, consisting of an oblong metallic plate having formed integral therewith a flange projecting at its top edge at right angles to its face, two clasp-forming flanges projecting at each of its ends, and two sockets located on its face, one at each end thereof, a front portion 0 consisting of a thin sheet of metal, having one edge bent in two c-onvolu tions, forming, respectively, a cam and bearings therefor, and means for operatively connecting the back and front portions, consisting of two U-shaped springs 19 and Z) rigidly fastened in the sockets on the back portion and forming pivotal supports for the front portion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 16th day of January, 1900.

VENIA H G. ROUTZAHN.

Witnesses:

VIoToR G. LYNCH, A. H. PARRATT. 

